Night Safari, Singapore

The Night Safari, Singapore is the world's first nocturnal zoo located in Mandai, Singapore. One of the most popular tourist attractions in the country, it forms part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve along with the River Wonders, Singapore Zoo and the future Bird Paradise.

The concept of a nocturnal park in Singapore was suggested in the 1980s by the former executive chairman of the Singapore Zoo, Dr Ong Swee Law. Constructed at a cost of S$63 million, the Night Safari was officially opened on 26 May 1994 and occupies of secondary rainforest adjacent to the Singapore Zoo and Upper Seletar Reservoir.

The Night Safari currently houses over 900 animals representing over 100 species, of which 41% are threatened species. The Night Safari is managed by Mandai Wildlife Group, and about 1.3 million visitors visit the safari per year. The Night Safari received its 11 millionth visitor on 29 May 2007.

History

Unlike traditional nocturnal houses, which reverse the day-night cycle of animals so they will be active by day, the Night Safari is an entire open-air zoo set in a humid tropical forest that is only open at night. It is divided into six geographical zones, which can be explored either on foot via four walking trails, or by tram.

The animals of the Night Safari, ranging from axis deer and African buffalo to Indian rhinoceros and pangolins to lions and Asian elephants, are made visible by lighting that resembles moonlight. Although it is brighter than full moonlight by a few orders of magnitude, it is dim enough not to disturb nocturnal and crepuscular animals' behaviour. London based lighting designer Simon Corder created the lighting for Night Safari.

The naturalistic enclosures simulate the animals' native habitat. Animals are separated from visitors with natural barriers, rather than caged, similar to the Singapore Zoo's open concept. Instead of vertical prison-like cages, cattle grids were laid all over the park to prevent hoofed animals from moving one habitat to another. These are grille-like metal sheets with gaps wide enough for animals' legs to go through. Moats were designed to look like streams and rivers to enable animals to be put on show in open areas, and hot wires were designed to look like twigs to keep animals away from the boundaries of their enclosures. Food and beverage outlets in the Night Safari include Ulu Ulu Safari Restaurant, Bongo Burgers, and Casa Italia. Visitors can dine in the "Evening in the Wild" at Night Safari's only Tepee Tent. Also experience dining on the move with the Cocktail Safari Express and Gourmet Safari Express.

Exhibits

Tram Trail

The tram takes visitors across the whole park, allowing visitors to view most of the park's larger animals.

Himalayan Trail

Bharal
Himalayan tahr
Markhor

Marsh Birds

Asian small-clawed otter
Greater flamingo

Subcontinent Village

Asiatic lion
Barasingha
Chital
Clouded leopard
Fossa
Indian rhinoceros
Sloth bear
Striped hyena

Equatorial Africa

African buffalo
Eld's deer
Hippopotamus
Indian hog deer
North Sulawesi babirusa
Spotted hyena
White lion

Asian Forest Riverine

Asian elephant
Bornean bearded pig
Dhole
Malayan tapir
Sambar deer

Fishing Cat Trail

The Fishing Cat Trail features a variety of nocturnal animals mostly from Asia, North Africa and South America.

Asian small-clawed otter
Barasingha
Binturong
Black-crowned night heron
Brazilian porcupine
Capybara
Fishing cat
Gharial
Giant Asian pond turtle
Giant anteater
Great cormorant
Gray-handed night monkey
Himalayan tahr
Indian muntjac
Kinkajou
Large flying fox
Little pied cormorant
Maned wolf
Southern three-banded armadillo
Spectacled owl
Spotted whistling duck
Striped hyena

Leopard Trail

The Leopard Trail houses a variety of nocturnal animals from the rainforests of Asia like clouded leopards, a flying fox walkthrough aviary, and habitats for some native animals. The Asiatic lions are also visible from a boardwalk on the edge of the trail.

Asian palm civet
Asian small-clawed otter
Asiatic lion
Binturong
Buffy fish owl
Clouded leopard
Collared owlet
Fossa
Giant pangasius
Greater hog badger
Indian crested porcupine
Indian rhinoceros
Large flying fox
Leopard cat
Lesser short-nosed fruit bat
Malayan porcupine
Masked palm civet
Senegal bushbaby
Small-toothed palm civet
Spotted wood owl
Spotted whistling duck
Sunda pangolin
Sunda scops owl
Sunda slow loris
Swamp eel

East Lodge Trail

This intriguing trail will lead you to the crossroad of Africa and Asia, where the animals of the savannah and the tropics live side by side.

Aardvark
Bongo
Hippopotamus
Malayan tiger
North Sulawesi babirusa
Northern white-faced owl
Red river hog
Sloth bear
Spotted hyena

Tasmanian Devil Trail

Opening in 2012, this trail features a wallaby walkthrough habitat and smaller enclosures for other nocturnal Australian animals. The trail also has a large man-made cave called the Naracoorte Cave, a reconstruction of the Naracoorte Caves National Park, which has several indigenous paintings and holds invertebrates and reptiles.

Four female Tasmanian devils arrived from the Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary in November 2022, part of an insurance population managed ny the Save the Tasmanian Devil Programme run by the Tasmanian Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Asian forest scorpion
Cave racer
Chilean rosehair tarantula
Common brushtail possum
Common barn owl
Crested gecko
Kiwi (bird)
Madagascar hissing cockroach
Mexican fireleg tarantula
Morepork
Red-necked wallaby
Tasmanian devil
Woylie

Creatures of the Show

Asian small-clawed otter
Binturong
Bornean bearded pig
Buffy fish owl
Common raccoon dog
Fennec fox
Indian crested porcupine
Raccoon
Turkey vulture

Shows

The "Creatures of the Night Show" is a performance presented by the animals in the Night Safari. A binturong shows off its ability to hang upside down with its prehensile tail, a spotted hyena displays its powerful jaws and otters spread awareness to recycle reusable items.

Cultural performances are a regular feature at the safari, and include tribal dances, blowpipe demonstrations and fire eating displays.

Awards

ASEAN Tourism Association – Aseanta Awards For Excellence (1995)
- Best New Attraction in ASEAN
Singapore Tourism Awards
- Top 10 Best Family Experience (2006)
- Best Leisure Attraction Experience (2003, 2004, 2006)
- Leisure Attraction of the Year (1996, 1997, 1999, 2000)
- Best Trail Marshall of the Year, Mohammed Munzir Aziz. (2008)
- Best Trail Marshall of the Year, Mohammad Ridhwan Shahril. (2009)
- Best Ground crew of the Year, Vijayeswaran Visvalingam. (2009)
- Best Animal Caretaker of the Year, Hadi Akmal (2015)

External links

Text taken from Wikipedia - Night Safari, Singapore under the CC-BY-SA-3.0 on April 13, 2023